DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team got a pair of second half goals and kept its sixth cleansheet of the season in a 2-0 win over Oral Roberts on Sunday afternoon at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
DEN (10-5-0, 5-0-0): Sharp 53', McSwain 75'
ORU (4-9-2, 1-4-1):
Quotable – Head Coach Jeff Hooker:
"I thought we didn't execute very well in the first half. Our passes weren't crisp, and our ideas weren't sharp enough and fast enough. We just addressed at halftime to wake our minds up. The league schedule is two games in three days, which isn't ideal, but the execution piece is what was missing. That was the biggest difference in the second half. Our movement off the ball was much better, and our efficiency of getting shots on target was better. Ultimately, I'm proud of how we turned it around and really played well in the second half. It's another three points in the bank."
Inside the Box Score:
Denver outshot Oral Roberts 26-3, including 12-2 on target. The Pioneers also earned the only 11 corner kicks of the afternoon. The Pioneers had a 61-39 possession edge, with 43% of Denver's possession coming in the attacking third.
First Half:
The two teams played to a scoreless opening 45 minutes with Denver holding a 10-1 advantage in shots in the first half, including 4-0 on target. Denver also took the only four corner kicks of the half and kept 60% possession.
Denver was in a good rhythm in the opening quarter hour before
Sami Feller had to go off with an injury. Feller returned in the second half.
Second Half:
After controlling the tempo of the first half, the Pioneers continued to push forward to start the second 45, ultimately finding the breakthrough in the 53
rd minute through
Sydney Sharp's 11
th goal of the season. Sharp now has 21 goals in her career, good for 13
th in Denver's Division I history.
A throw-in to an un-marked
Brittney Lewis started the scoring opportunity down the Denver left. Lewis played a cross to the penalty spot to the run of Sharp. Sharp's glancing header tucked in the far post to put the Pioneers ahead 37 minutes still to play. The Lewis helper was her first of the season and the 11
th of her career.
Devan McSwain doubled Denver's lead in the 75
th minute on a corner kick service from
Natalie Beckman. McSwain's goal was the second of her career, having scored her first last Sunday in a 2-0 win over Western Illinois. Beckman's assist was her 13
th of the season, including her fourth this weekend, and the program-record 42
nd of her career.
Notes:
- Sharp has scored in 15 of her last 22 appearances, including in 11 of 15 this season and in each of her last six.
- Beckman now has 13 assists this season and 42 in her career.
- 13 assists in a season is tied for fourth in Denver's DI history, two behind Nicholette DiGiacomo's 2010 season.
- Beckman's assist also brought her career point total to 78, good for eighth in Denver's DI record book.
Up Next:
The Pioneers hit the road for the final time in the regular season next weekend when Denver makes the trip through North Dakota to take on UND Friday at 2 p.m. MT before taking on North Dakota State Sunday at 12 p.m. MT.
Tickets:
Denver men's and women's soccer single game tickets for the 2021 campaign are on sale now, and can be purchased
here.
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